SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When the high-definition scoreboard at AT&T Park lit up with Sergio Romo's bearded face last October and showed with him running through streets like a boxer as fans fawned and Mexican music pounded through the stadium's speakers, the game was pretty much over.

That montage played every time the San Francisco Giants brought Romo into a game at their home park. And during the team's phenomenal postseason run, that video was played almost exclusively in the ninth inning as the righthander became San Francisco's closer.

Sergio Romo is in the running to be Giants closer. (AP Photo)

In 10 appearances (10 2/3 innings) in the playoffs, Romo allowed one run, four hits and one walk, and he struck out nine. He had four saves and a 0.84 ERA. In five of those games, Romo protected a lead of two runs or fewer.

When the Giants held their first full-squad workout of spring training Saturday morning, they did so without a definite closer. Manager Bruce Bochy hasn't officially named a man for the role, and the team is expected to use the closer-by-committee philosophy it employed for much of last season after former closer Brian Wilson had season-ending Tommy John surgery in April.

Romo, who surely has earned a shot to be the team's closer, is OK with the fluidity of the back of the bullpen.

"I just expect to get a chance to pitch," Romo said. "I've been fortunate to get those late innings and have had high-quality outings. Last year was a good example of how close-knit our bullpen is, and of how unselfish and willing we were to complement each other. No one wants to shine more than the other. We just all want to pitch."

Romo's time to pitch likely will be in the ninth inning more often than not. The Giants tried Santiago Casilla in the role for a time last season, but he was inconsistent and Bochy elected to mix and match his relievers from that point. It eventually led to Romo getting more chances to close in September, when he became the de facto ninth-inning guy.

There is doubt about Romo in the role, however. The Giants wonder whether Romo can handle the workload of a closer. He never has pitched more than 62 innings in a season, but his total could be in the 70s as a closer because of how many close games the Giants play.

Then there are concerns, mainly from scouts, about Romo's stuff, whether he can overcome a slider that sometimes flattens out and whether he can have consistent success as a closer. Well, those might be dated concerns. Romo showed last season that he can get anyone out, including American League Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, who saw five devastating sliders and was then frozen by a fastball for the third strike that clinched the Giants' World Series win over the Detroit Tigers.

Righthanded hitters batted .192/.228/.308 against Romo last season, and lefties hit .167/.250/.241. In the postseason, all hitters managed just a .111/.135/.111 line against him.

"I don't know how it's going to play out, but I know Bochy has confidence in all of us," Romo said. "(The postseason) showed me I can do it, I can hold my own in those situations. I never lacked confidence or anything, but that was reassuring. It was like, 'I can do this.' "